Pokemon in the Town of Salem: Rainbow Mode
by RemiScarlet58
Summary: We're back with another exciting game of Town of Salem! In Rainbow Mode, there are few town members and a LOT of enemies and neutral characters. This doesn't bode well for the town...
1. The Players

_Fifteen identical houses completely made out of packed sand stood in a circle on top of a small, deserted, ring-shaped island. Behind the structures lay a thin line of palm trees, hibiscuses, and other tropical plants, but beyond that lay the ocean, stretching as far as the eye could see. Wooden paths led from the houses and to the center of the ring, where a stage made of sand stood. Underneath the paths lay a pool of salt water as blue as the cloudless sky above. A large, purple umbrella kept both the stage and the human woman standing on it shielded from the harsh glare of the sun. The woman had deep violet hair pulled up in a ponytail, with black sunglasses resting on top of her head. Her skin was deathly pale, so much so that she looked rather like a walking corpse. She wore a plain black tankini top, black trunks, and purple sandals. She smiled broadly as she spread her hands in grandeur._

* * *

"Welcome one and all, to Pokemon in the Town of Salem! This time, the game is set to Rainbow Mode, where town members are few and enemies are plenty! I am your host, Scarlet Devel. Fifteen Pokemon have been chosen to compete for the ultimate prize: one million Poké. As in the last game, almost every choice our contestants will make has been decided by a randomizer. Who they are, what their roles are, the choices they make; all have been randomly selected. Except, however, the obvious plays, such as a Bodyguard protecting a revealed Mayor. Stuff like that. In any case, let's meet our wonderful players, shall we?"

At her cue, the fifteen sand-houses opened up, and their occupants strolled outside and around the stage. There was a Stantler, Vanillish, Sliggoo, Karrablast, Misdreavus, Golett, Smeargle, Xatu, Golduck, Cryogonal, Volcarona, Golbat, Ninjask, Tangrowth, and Horsea. All fifteen looked nervous, and sweat began to appear on their faces, though that could have been due to the sun, which was shining mercilessly from above.

"Hello everyone! My name is Scarlet, and I'll be your host. Quick question, who here has _not_ played Town of Salem before?" Scarlet greeted. Her voice was rather hypnotic, and many of the players caught themselves almost becoming mesmerized.

Only Cryogonal and Xatu raised their hands. In Cryogonal's case, he simply inclined his head.

"Excellent. Well, since most of the players here already have some experience, I won't waste time by explaining all of the roles. In this game, most of them are self-explanatory anyway. If you're still confused, signal during the night by turning on the lights to your house. I'll come and answer any questions you have," Scarlet nodded as she knelt down and picked up a bottle of sunscreen. She began laboriously applying it to her skin.

"We have to wait until nighttime? We'll be here for _days_!" Misdreavus exclaimed, shocked.

"Not necessarily. Let me explain: as well as being the host, producer, and director, I am also in charge of special effects. That means I can make it seem like nighttime when in reality it's still day. Watch," Scarlet explained as she snapped her fingers. Instantly, the sun changed into the moon, the blue sky turned black, and millions of stars began twinkling above.

The contestants stared in wonder, and many of them dropped their jaws open in awe.

"Are you some kind of deity?!" Sliggoo demanded.

"No comment. Anyway, allow me to explain how each 'day' will go. The nights will last for five minutes each. I will always begin the day by narrating who died, their roles, and any wills or death notes left beside them. You will then have five minutes to discuss your findings during the night. After that, you'll have a minute to vote someone up to trial. If there aren't enough votes, then we'll progress directly into the night. But, if someone _is_ voted up, they will have a minute to defend themselves. Then, red and green cards will appear in your hands, as we'll be in the judgment phase. Simply hold up a card—red for 'guilty' and green for 'innocent'—to vote. That will last for thirty seconds. If the accused is pardoned, then you will have fifteen seconds to vote someone else up. If the accused is found guilty, they'll have ten seconds to give their last words before they die," Scarlet went on.

"What was that last part?" Ninjask piped up warily.

"She's not serious; it's all just an illusion," Stantler reassured the frightened audience.

Scarlet nodded. "Exactly. Stantler here has done this before. He can assure you everything is not real. It'll look like it, but it's all just a fantastic illusion. When you 'die', your body will remain invisible to everyone but me and the other ghosts. No one else but me, the ghosts, and the Medium may hear you as well. If you wish to leave the game, simply say 'Scarlet, I quit', and I'll boot you off just like that, no questions asked. However, if you do choose to leave early, you won't receive the prize if your team wins. So think about it carefully. Now, I'd like to direct your attention to the board over there."

Scarlet pointed to a wooden post in between the two most northern sandhouses. At first glance it appeared to be a typical rules list for a beach, but upon closer look it actually held three columns labeled 'Dead', 'Roles', and 'Alive'.

"The Dead column will list the names and roles of those who've died. The Roles column lists the possible roles for this game, which are: **Mafioso** , _Arsonist_ , **Survivor** , Jailor, _Amnesiac_ , Serial Killer, _**Witch,**_ Any, _**Witch,**_ Serial Killer, _Amnesiac_ , Veteran, **Survivor,** _Arsonist_ , and **Godfather**. The Alive column lists all the players currently alive. Pretty self-explanatory, all of it. Now that that's out of the way, I will begin handing your your role cards," Scarlet explained as fifteen white cards appeared in her hands.

"Starting with Stantler, step up and get one," she instructed.

One by one, the contestants stepped up to the stage and received a card from Scarlet in the cool shade. She scowled when Stantler received his, however.

"Here's how the cards work: no one but you can see what's on your card. It'll appear blank to any peekers. It won't disappear, so you can look at it as many times as you want. On the front side is your role and its description, and on the back there'll be a list of the alive players' names. Well, in the case of the Any role, there might not be a back side, the Survivors and Veteran will only see their names, and the Amnesiacs won't see anything just yet. Anyway, choose your target by tapping his or her name. The sun icon means you have to choose your target during the day. During Night 1 you'll receive a piece of paper. That's your will. You may also receive a red piece of paper. That'll be your death note. That just about covers it; luckily we have almost all experienced players. Off to your houses, now. Remember, if you have any questions just turn on your light. We good? Alright! Good luck everyone!" Scarlet beamed as she snapped her fingers.

The day turned back into the nighttime illusion. The players shuffled off to their houses, some glancing up at the sky in wonder as they walked.

"The game has begun! Who will die on Night 1 like a scrub, and who will emerge victorious? Only time shall tell!" Scarlet laughed once she was alone.


	2. The Lone Survivor

When Scarlet announced that it was morning five minutes later, thirteen heads cautiously poked out from their sandcastle homes. The sky reverted back to the blistering, cloudless day, and the survivors made their way to the cool shade of the stage, which was shielded from the sun by a large purple umbrella. Most of them stayed on the sand, blinking rapidly at the sudden change of light, but Horsea, Golduck, and Sliggoo happily waded into the warm water and splashed around.

"Good morning everyone! Glad to see you all survived. Well, all but two of you, anyway. Unfortunately, we found Stantler dead in his home last night. He was killed by a member of the **Mafia**. We found a will next to his body. It reads, 'Which Witch is which? Me!'. We also found a death note next to his body. It says, 'get good'. Stantler's role was _**Witch**_ ," Scarlet told them, putting her hands behind her back gravely.

"We also found Smeargle brutally murdered in her home as well," the alabaster human continued. "She was killed by a Serial Killer. We could not find a will. We did, however, find a death note next to her body. It reads, 'Forgive me'. Smeargle's role was **Survivor**."

The remaining contestants began murmuring once Scarlet was done announcing the deaths. Over on the scoreboard, Stantler and Smeargle's names, roles, wills, and death notes magically appeared.

"Good morning, Scarlet. Did you enjoy your vacation?" Vanillish asked.

"I did, actually. Although I did not get to meet the people I'd been hoping to encounter. I slept right through their visit," Scarlet nodded, turning to the discussion.

"So we lost a Witch and a Survivor…" Golbat was saying, frowning. He stood far into the shade of the umbrella like Scarlet, avoiding the sun.

"Can I just say that I'm the remaining Survivor? Just leave me alone, please, and I will vote innocent on everyone," Tangrowth piped up, looking nervously at everyone else.

"Oh, if we're playing that game can I too suggest that I'm the last Survivor?" Golduck snorted derisively.

"It's true though! I swear!" Tangrowth insisted, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Let's be real: we're all enemies here. There are seven teams—possibly eight, depending on the Any role—and most of them require the deaths of everyone else. So we can't afford to trust anyone. That being said, I noticed that there were only two deaths today. One by the Mafia and the other by a Serial Killer. But, there are _two_ Serial Killers. Did one of them find an immune person?" Horsea said darkly.

Everyone looked suspiciously at each other.

"Hey, second Serial Killer. Tomorrow put the name of whoever you attacked yesterday in your death note. But don't pick me, please," Volcarona requested.

"Yes, please do that. That'll be a big help," Karrablast nodded.

There wasn't much else to say after that, and Scarlet soon announced that it was time to vote.

"You may now choose someone to accuse. There needs to be a total of seven votes in order for someone to stand on trial," Scarlet declared. "And get off my stage, Golbat, unless _you_ want to volunteer."

"But it's so bright out there! I hate the sunlight," Golbat protested, but nevertheless he moved to the outer edges of the umbrella's shade.

"I understand exactly how you feel. I'm a night Noctowl myself. I should be asleep right now. But still," the host sympathized.

"Eh. Tangrowth," Golduck shrugged.

"What? Why _me_?! I said I was a Survivor! I'm voting Golduck!" Tangrowth exclaimed in shock.

"I dunno. I kinda don't believe that you're the Survivor," Golduck said in a bored tone.

"I'll roll with it. Tangrowth," Sliggoo joined in.

"I'm with Slig. Tangrowth," Karrablast agreed, giving the purple dragon-type a high five. They both knew each other, as both of them were part of an evil revolutionary movement, though they worked in different branches.

"Well I say Golduck," Horsea sniffed, raising his head arrogantly.

"Sure, Golduck," Cryogonal chimed in, nodding.

"Vanillish, because why not?" Ninjask chuckled, rubbing her legs together wickedly.

"Why me, might I ask? There is not enough sufficient evidence to vote on anyone. That is why I will decline to vote, by the way," Vanillish retorted mildly, raising an eyebrow at the speedy bug/flying-type.

"I just said, because why not?" Ninjask replied cooly.

"Ugh. I'm with Vanillish. It is only Day 2, and we have no investigating roles to tell us who's who. I'm not voting," Golett grumbled, plopping himself down sulkily on the sand.

"Me too," Misdreavus agreed, looking up from the pile of seashells she had been collecting while everyone else had been talking.

"And I," Volcarona nodded.

"I don't know anything about this game, so I'm just going to sit this one out," Xatu said, raising her wings to show she meant no harm.

She took a step back, right into the pool of water. Surprised, she fell backwards, right onto her rear, creating a large splash. Everyone laughed as she sat up, sputtering and coughing.

"Haha, hah...I don't want to risk lynching the wrong role. Leave me out of this," Golbat said, looking up from the sandcastle he and Misdreavus had started making.

They'd subtly asked Scarlet if they could have some beach toys, and the amused host had granted their request and conjured up a bucket and a shovel. Misdreavus was decorating the sandcastle with the seashells she had found.

No one changed their minds, and so they ran out the clock.

"Alright, everyone. There weren't enough votes, so now we're moving directly into nighttime. Back into your houses. Better luck next time, and hopefully you'll all survive the night. See you in five minutes," Scarlet announced, snapping her fingers. As before, the blue sky changed into night, with millions of stars dotting the black canvas.

"How _do_ you do that?!" Sliggoo demanded.

"I have my ways. Now shoo," she ordered gently.

Still curious, Sliggoo reluctantly entered his house, taking one last look at the sky as he did.

Once everyone was inside, the night officially began. Stantler and Smeargle's ghosts appeared next to Scarlet, and she allowed them to talk.

"Darn it! I could have sworn I clicked the button to use a vest," Smeargle grumbled, kicking at the sand.

"Uh...I'm not Stantler," Stantler piped up fearfully.


	3. The Disguiser Unmasked

"Oh?" Scarlet asked nonchalantly, raising an eyebrow. She, of course, knew everything that went on in the game, but she wasn't about to spoil anything for the contestants.

"No! I'm Vanillish, not Stantler!" Stantler exclaimed fearfully, shaking slightly. "Last night I got a message saying...oh what was it...that a Disguiser took my identity! What does that mean? Will I ever be back in my own body? Will—"

"Don't worry, you'll change back to normal after the game is over," Scarlet interrupted the hyperventilating ghost with a wave of her hand. "Your body was essentially 'switched' with the Pokemon who has the role of Disguiser. It's what they do, the bastards. Hate them."

"So Stantler is the Disguiser, then, since he's in Vanillish's body. Disguiser must be the Any role. Bah, if only we had a Medium!" Smeargle scowled, stamping her foot against the sand.

"Anyway, you raised your hand when Scarlet asked to see who all have played before. How come you don't know what a Disguiser is?" Smeargle went on.

"I've only played once before, and that was Classic Mode. I don't know what anything does!" "Stantler" whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Ah. Hm."

The trio were silent for the rest of the night. Scarlet left for a brief moment to answer a question one of the alive players had. She teleported to the person's house, then popped back to her spot in the center of her umbrella not ten seconds later.

* * *

"Alright everyone, it be morning again!" the host announced soon after she returned as the sky reverted back to normal.

The two ghosts were hidden and silenced from the alive players' awareness as they carefully made their way to the stage.

To the contestants' horror, only ten of them remained.

"We found Golett dead in his home last night. He was murdered by a _Serial Killer_. We could not find a will, but we did find a death note. It reads, 'Life as a Serial Killer is as dull as my knife: IT'S NOT'. Golett's role was _Amnesiac_ ," Scarlet announced mournfully.

"However, Volcarona was brutally murdered last night as well. She was killed by a _Serial Killer_. We found a will next to her body: 'N1: Jailed :( N2: Vanillish with Sliggoo'. We also found a death note: 'forgive me'. Volcarona's role was _**Witch**_ ," the host went on.

"And finally, Karrablast was also murdered the previous night. He was murdered by a member of the **Mafia**. We found a will next to his body. It says, 'I hate this role. I wanted to be evil! Anyway, Night 1: Jailed Volcarona. Claims Amnesiac. Night 2: Jailed Misdreavus. Claims Amnesiac as well'. As with the others, we found a death note too: 'get good'. Karrablast's role was Jailor," Scarlet finished.

"No! Not Karrablast! We work together!" Sliggoo cried, throwing himself down into the sand.

"I was there when he was killed. Not fun. Not fun at all," Misdreavus whispered shyly, looking down at the ground. Golbat patted her back comfortingly.

"Mmph. Least we don't have to worry about any more Witches," Golduck sniffed, not bothered by any of it at all.

"So we still have both Mafia, both Arsonists, both Serial Killer, one Amnesiac, one Survivor, the Veteran, and the Any role, whatever it may be. Speaking of, does anyone have any idea what that role could be?" "Vanillish" asked.

Scarlet laughed. She couldn't help it.

Everyone turned to her.

"Do you know something?" Xatu inquired.

"Hm? No, sorry. You couldn't hear them, but the ghosts were telling each other jokes. I was laughing at them. Carry on~" Scarlet beamed at her.

" _No we weren't,"_ "Stantler" protested.

" _Shh!"_ Golett chided.

Xatu wasn't entirely convinced, but decided not to pursue the matter. She turned back to the others.

"And another thing: we asked the Serial Killer to tell us which immune role they hit Night 1. But none of their death notes said anything about it. Serial Killer, what gives?"

"Maybe the first Witch controlled them," Misdreavus suggested, looking up from the sand kingdom she and Golbat were currently working on.

"...Yeah, that's possible," Golduck agreed.

"I was doused on Night 1 too, by the way," Ninjask piped up.

"I was doused last night myself," Xatu chimed in.

"Who cares? The Arsonists can douse each other; your reports are useless," Golduck rolled his eyes.

As he and everyone else argued about that, Golbat, who was trying to remain mostly in the shade of the umbrella, drew Misdreavus in close.

"Hey. You're not the Amnesiac. Why did you lie to Karrablast?" he whispered fiercely.

"I didn't," Misdreavus replied. Golbat gave her a meaningful look, and she realized something.

" _Oh._ Because I couldn't let him know my true role; if he died—which he did—it would have gotten me killed!" she said.

"What is your real role? I'll help you in any way I can, fellow night-lover," Golbat asked.

She told him. He raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, that would do it," he said at last.

"Hey, you two. Care to share with the rest of us?" Sliggoo said loudly, interrupting their conversation.

"Let's get his opinion. Sliggoo, we can't decide: should we build the moat around the castle, or the entire city?" Misdreavus smiled innocently at him.

Sliggoo frowned at her. "...The castle," he said after a long moment.

"Told you," Golbat snorted, pushing Misdreavus gently. She pouted.

"Time to vote, everyone. There must be six votes against someone in order to send them to trial," Scarlet told the group as she put on a generous layer of sunscreen, despite being firmly in the shade.

"Could I have some of that? Oh, I also say Tangrowth. Because reasons," Golduck requested.

"Random lynching won't get us anywhere. I'm not voting," Ninjask frowned.

Most of the others agreed with her, though Sliggoo did cast a vote against Tangrowth as well. Tangrowth, understandably, cast her vote against Golduck once more.

Since no one else voted, the voting phase progressed swiftly into nighttime. The day turned inexplicably to night, the remaining players entered their sandhouses, and the five ghosts were unsilenced.

"Well that was a waste of a day," Karrablast declared.


	4. Reminiscence

"We didn't get anywhere at all!" Karrablast continued, kicking at Golbat and Misdreavus' sand kingdom.

However, being a ghost, his foot phased right through it instead. Caught off guard, he lost balance and fell backwards into a tidepool, creating an audible splash. He flailed helplessly underwater, being unable to swim. Golett kindly lumbered over and picked up the drowning Karrablast by a tiny stub of a foot. He clapped Karrablast soundly on the back, forcing the sputtering Pokemon to cough out water.

Once he could breathe again, Golett put Karrablast down on the ground, where the gasping Pokemon kissed the sand.

"Sweet, sweet land, don't ever leave me again! Th-thanks, Golett…" Karrablast mumbled, crawling back to his feet as he rejoined the ghosts on the stage.

"No problem," Karrablast's kind rescuer said amiably.

"A-anyway, as I was saying, nothing happened! We're no closer to winning than we were yesterday! Hmph, at least an evil role will win. It's impossible for a 'good' team to win now," Karrablast frowned angrily, sitting down and crossing his arms.

"Unless the Veteran can pull off a turnabout, Phoenix Wright-style. By the way, does anyone know who the Veteran is?" Smeargle mused.

The ghosts thought, but all of them could not identify the remaining Townie. Scarlet, however, smiled knowingly. _She_ knew who the Veteran was. But she wasn't going to tell a soul. Or the remaining players.

Volcarona saw. "Hey...you know something."

"Mm?" the host inquired innocently.

"Who's the Veteran?" Karrablast demanded, getting back up and staring up at the tall human.

"Not telling~"

"Tell us! There's no way we can contact the living players, so tell us!" Volcarona insisted.

"It is morning!" Scarlet shouted in retort, snapping her fingers.

Instantly, the ghosts were silenced and cloaked in invisibility, while the sky above reverted to day.

The nine remaining players came out of their sandhouses and walked up to the stage, each thankful to have been spared the night before. Of course, one Pokemon wasn't as lucky.

"We found Cryogonal brutally murdered last night," Scarlet said gravely, gazing at the faces below her. "He was killed by a _Serial Killer_. We could not find a will, but we did find a death note. It reads, 'forgive me'. Cryogonal's role was **Mafioso**."

"Hey, who's this 'we' you keep talking about?" Ninjask demanded.

"I have a script. Leave it alone," Scarlet responded. "By the way, an _Amnesiac_ has remembered that they were a **Survivor**!"

"The Amnesiac chose the Survivor's side? ...Not a bad call. Who did it?" Xatu asked the crowd.

No one answered. Eight of them knew that if they did, the real Amnesiac-turned-Survivor would call them out on it. The Pokemon in question thought about it, and decided to take a risk.

"That would be me," Golbat said, stepping forward from the shade of the stage and out into the sun. He flinched when the glare of the sun hit his skin. "I'm the Amnesiac. I became a Survivor, so leave me alone and I'll leave you alone. We good?"

No one claimed otherwise, and everyone seemed okay with the deal. With that out of the way, the topic turned back to the death of Cryogonal. Golbat retreated back into the shade.

"Soooo, the Mafioso's out, leaving only the Godfather on Team Mafia," "Vanillish" speculated, pacing back and forth.

This time, Scarlet managed to bite her tongue in time to keep herself from laughing.

"That we know of. The Any role could be a Mafia member. A Consigliere—"

"Fun role," Scarlet interrupted Golbat.

"—a Consort, a Disguiser, a Forger, a Framer, a Blackmailer, a Janitor, or heck, even another Mafioso!" Golbat finished, glaring at Scarlet for a brief second.

"Has anyone been affected by any of these roles?" Horsea asked.

" _I have,"_ "Stantler" grumbled.

" _Shh,"_ Smeargle chided.

None of the living players reported any telltale messages, of Mafia activity or any other role's abilities. They were stumped.

"You know, they could be deliberately not using their role, to keep the element of surprise. And in the cases of the Forger and Framer, it'd be hard to tell if they're present in this game. Same with the Disguiser, unless the victim's will outs them," Sliggoo shrugged.

" _It didn't…_ " "Stantler" sighed. Smeagle glared at "him".

"Sliggoo does have a point...Argh! I want to know what that darn Any role is!" Ninjask howled, zooming around the beach angrily.

"The Veteran's been quiet too. Either they're saving up their bullets or no one's been unlucky enough to visit them while they're on alert," Xatu added.

"However…" Tangrowth said slowly, a thought coming to her mind. "There was only one death today. Meaning that the Godfather and the other Serial Killer found two immune roles. Hopefully, we can get some answers tomorrow."

"Ooooh, you're right! Unless anyone wants to give themselves up to screw over another team?" Horsea beamed, looking around at everyone.

The other players looked down at the ground, either not having any information or unwilling to die for their cause.

"...I see. Then we wait," Horsea said solemnly.

"Time to vote, everyone. There must be a total of five votes against one Pokemon in order to vote them up for trial," Scarlet announced a moment later.

"So...random lynching time?" Golduck suggested mischievously.

" _NO,_ " Golbat, Misdreavus, Tangrowth, and Sliggoo chorused, all four glowering at Golduck.

He put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, hey, just a thought. No need to get your panties in a bunch."

"But none of us wear clothes, aside from Scarlet. And she is in her bathing suit," Misdreavus reminded.

"Figure of speech, sweetie. Try using your brain next time," Golduck told her. She and Golbat glared at him.

No one had much of a reason to accuse anyone, so the voting phase failed to produce anything. Thus, nighttime quickly returned, and the nine remaining players withdrew to their houses, awaiting the messages from the killers.

The ghosts were unsilenced and came back into sight.

"Another useless day!" Karrablast raged, throwing his tiny hands up into the air.


	5. The Veteran?

"At this point, the game will go on forever!" Karrablast continued, stalking angrily around the stage.

"Stop your complaining. Presumably tomorrow the killers will give us a clue as to who's evil," Smeargle admonished.

"Bah!" replied Karrablast. But he settled down, albeit somewhat.

"So we know that Golbat is the Amnesiac, and didn't Tangrowth say she was the Survivor? That means everyone else is an evil role, except for the Veteran, who we still don't know the identity of," Volcarona mused, standing outside the shade of the umbrella. Being a fire-type, naturally she liked the sun.

"Hm...Well, at least we know that no matter what, things'll finally get moving in the morning," Golett said resolutely.

"About time," Karrablast grumbled, throwing seashells into the tidepools.

The ghosts didn't have much else to say, and soon the night passed.

* * *

"Alright, everyone! It's morning again! Come on out!" Scarlet announced as the nighttime illusion disappeared, turning the scenery back into day. The ghosts disappeared from view once more.

Eight wary contestants cautiously made their way to the shade of the stage.

"Hey...there wasn't much bloodshed last night," Golduck pouted, seemingly disappointed.

"Yes, about that...We found Vanillish dead in her home last night. She was killed by a _Serial Killer_. We found a will next to her body: 'Forgive me, Vanillish. It's but a part of the game. By the way, Sliggoo is immune'. We also found a death note beside her as well: 'Life as a Serial Killer is as dull as my knife...IT'S NOT.'. Vanillish's role was **Disguiser**." Scarlet told the crowd.

"AHA!" Ninjask shouted, zooming all over the town in excitement. "The Any role is revealed! It was a Disguiser!"

"By the sound of 'Vanillish's' will, she took the real Vanillish's identity. Only question is, who was the original Disguiser?" Xatu wondered.

"Who cares? We finally have a lead! _Sliggoo_ ," Golduck butted in, staring pointedly at the purple dragon-type.

Said purple dragon-type looked around the crowd in surprise. "What, me? No no no, Vanillish, or whoever the Disguiser is, is lying!"

"Oh, what's the point in lying? Golbat's the Amnesiac, and I'm pretty sure Tangrowth is the Survivor. Unless you're secretly the Veteran, then there's no way you can't be evil," Ninjask said, staring intently at Sliggoo.

Sweat began to form on his brow, although that could have been due to the intense sunlight as well. "Fine, I'll admit it! I'm the Veteran! If you guys leave me alone then I'll vote with you!"

He looked around nervously, in case someone decided to call him out on it. But no one did.

"...No one's saying otherwise. But I'm not pleased with having the final Townie around. Especially a Veteran. Now that we know who the Veteran is, we can kill him and get on with our lives without worrying about being shot," Golduck reasoned.

"WHAT?! No, no! I promise I won't go on alert! I only have one more left, anyway!" Sliggoo shrieked, shaking heavily. He sensed the end was near, and he was not going down easily.

"Out of four nights, when practically everyone goes out and visits someone? And you've been silent all that time? No, I think you have more alerts up your sleeve. This ends here. Let's kill the Veteran," Golduck declared wickedly.

Sliggoo knew he was defeated. He sagged pitifully, numb to everything around him.

"The other two killers must have hit more immunes. Hopefully there'll be more information tomorrow," Horsea speculated. The others agreed.

"Okay, everyone, time to vote. There must be five votes against someone to send them to trial," Scarlet announced when the time came.

"Sliggoo," Golduck, Ninjask, and Xatu said instantly.

"No! Uh, Golduck!" Sliggoo cried out in desperation.

"Sliggoo," Horsea stated.

"Sliggoo," Misdreavus agreed, surprising everyone. She'd been neutral up until this point in time; it was odd for her to suddenly take a side.

"Alright Sliggoo, get on up here. Don't fight the inevitable," Scarlet told the accused, gesturing for him to join her on stage.

A literal dead man walking to his execution, Sliggoo's movements were slow and his unwillingness was practically palpable. Nevertheless, he obeyed. He faced the crowd below him with a stoic expression.

"Sliggoo, you've been accused of conspiracy against the town. Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Scarlet asked formally.

"No," Sliggoo stated. He knew he was done for.

"The town may now vote on the fate of Sliggoo. Simply hold up the green card for 'innocent', and the red card for 'guilty'. Or, if you don't have hands, stand near your choice," Scarlet instructed as red and green cards magically appeared in the town's hands.

Seven red cards instantly went up.

"The town has voted **7** to 1. Do you have any last words?" Scarlet asked the condemned Sliggoo.

He nodded. "I lied. The real Veteran is still out there."

"Wait, what?" Ninjask frowned. But it was too late for Sliggoo to clarify.

"May Arceus have mercy on your soul, Sliggoo," Scarlet said gravely as she snapped her fingers.

Instantly, a hogtied Sliggoo appeared on a wooden board in the middle of a deep pool of water. Scarlet yanked the board from out under his feet, and with a cry Sliggoo fell into the water. Two seconds later, both the pool and Sliggoo disappeared, leaving not a trace behind.

"We found a will next to his body," Scarlet smiled at the crowd, like she hadn't just illusion-killed a man. "'Da Arso'." Sliggoo's role was _Arsonist_."

"Uh...at least we got rid of an Arsonist…" Tangrowth squeaked. Everyone wasn't sure how to react.

"But that means the Veteran is still out there. And we _will_ find him or her," Golduck said ominously.

"Figure it out tomorrow, ladies and gents. It's nighttime," Scarlet said as the day was illusioned back to night.

When the town members were "safe" in their homes, the ghosts appeared.

"Why did you drown me?" Sliggoo demanded.

"You're an Arsonist. I thought it would be fitting," Scarlet responded innocently.


	6. Dead Friends

The ghosts-namely Karrablast-were quite pleased that the game was finally picking up. Hopefully tomorrow morning the survivors would have more dirt on each other.

To pass the time, Smeargle had started a game of "What's your favorite _?" They'd gone through TV show, video game, drink, and season already.

"Color," she quizzed.

"Blue," "Stantler" said.

"Green," Volcarona and Cryogonal chorused.

"Neon red," Karrablast grumbled, not really interested in the game.

"Yellow," "Vanillish" answered.

"Orange or teal," Sliggoo replied.

"Black," Scarlet chimed in.

"Magenta," Golett finished.

"Could you stop? This is annoying," Karrablast snapped, having reached the end of his patience.

"Says you. How's about you go play in the water then?" Smeargle frowned at him.

"That sounds like a good idea actually. It's a perfect day to be at the beach," Golett cut in peaceably as Karrablast opened his mouth to argue with her.

The ghosts agreed, and they splashed around in the wedge-shaped tidepools in between the sand bridges.

"Come join us, Scarlet," "Stantler" invited as "he" sat in a pool.

The host shook her head. "No thank you. I'm allergic to sunlight."

Sliggoo stared at her in disbelief. "'Allergic to sunlight'? How's that even possible?"

Karrablast agreed. "I've never heard of anyone being unable to go out into the sun. I think you're full of it."

Scarlet sighed impatiently, and went to stand near the edge of the shade. She stuck her hand out past the parasol, and into the sunlight (which was still masquerading as moonlight).

Instantly, her hand turned bright red, tiny pustules blistering all over the affected limb. Her skin hissed as it was burned. Scarlet yanked her hand back into the shade, where the pustules stopped forming. She glared at the horrified Sliggoo and Karrablast as she dug into her tote bag and pulled out some lotion.

"Ya see now?" she stormed, rubbing the medicine over her blistered hand.

The two nodded, thoroughly abashed.

"Cutaneous porphyria?" Cryogonal guessed.

"Mm, I suppose you could call it that," the human woman said enigmatically, putting the lotion away. She refused to elaborate, and soon announced that it was day.

* * *

Five Pokemon emerged from their sandcastle houses. Misdreavus looked around for her friend, but she couldn't find him anywhere.

She realized what this meant.

"No!" she howled in anguish, flopping down into the scorching sand.

"We found Golbat dead in his home last night," Scarlet said sympathetically. "He was killed by a _Serial Killer_. We could not find a will. We did, however, find a death note. It reads, 'Life as a Serial Killer is as dull as my knife...IT'S NOT'. Golbat's role was **Survivor**."

"Horsea was also brutally murdered in his home last night," Scarlet went on, ignoring the upset Misdreavus. "He was shot by a Veteran. We found a will next to his body: 'Golbat is immune'. We also found a death note next to him: 'leave me alone'. Horsea's role was **Godfather**."

Ninjask whistled in amazement. "Well, the Mafia's completely gone now. Huh."

"The Vet finally made his or her appearance, eh? Hm," Xatu mused.

"So, Golduck, you wanna explain to the town why you're immune?" Tangrowth leered at the blue Pokemon. He'd bullied her all game; she was eager to leap at the chance for revenge.

He shrugged, his hands behind his head. "Nah. You got me. Might I add, though, that Xatu is immune too?"

"That was _you?!_ " Xatu screeched without thinking. Then she paused. "Oh…"

Ninjask looked from Golduck to Xatu to Golduck again. "So we have two guilty parties. Question is, who do we lynch first?"

"I know who I'm voting for," Tangrowth said vehemently. Everyone knew who she meant.

When the time came, Scarlet announced, "Time to vote, everyone! There must be a minimum of 3 votes against someone in order to put them to trial."

"Golduck!" Tangrowth shouted at once. No surprise there.

"I agree. Golduck," Xatu nodded. Again, not a surprise.

"Xatu," Golduck chuckled, crossing his arms with a confident air.

The trio turned to Misdreavus and Ninjask.

"Well?" Tangrowth prompted impatiently.

"Um...Xatu," Misdreavus said shyly, staring at the ground.

"Oh, fine. Xatu," Ninjask sighed.

" _What?!_ " Xatu shrieked.

"Get on up here," Scarlet motioned for her to join the host.

Once Xatu was standing next to Scarlet, the host continued, "Xatu, you've been accused of conspiracy against the town. Anything to say in your defense?"

Xatu's shoulders slumped. She knew she was beat. "No…"

"Then the town may vote on your fate."

Four red cards were held up into the air.

"The town has voted **4** to 0 against you. Any last words?" Scarlet inquired dutifully.

"No, I-what happened to your hand…?" Xatu frowned, staring at Scarlet's grotesque forearm.

"Allergies. May Arceus have mercy on your soul," Scarlet dismissed gravely as she snapped her fingers.

Above in the sky, clouds began to form, blotting but the sun from view. Thunder rumbled ominously, and a moment later a bolt of lightning struck Xatu. The victim jerked briefly before disappearing completely. Soon, the clouds vanished as well.

"We could not find a last will. Xatu's role was _Serial Killer._ Bedtime, everyone!" Scarlet said brightly, as if that hadn't just happened.

The four remaining contestants slowly went back to their homes, looking up at the sky as they did. Once they were all locked away, the ghosts reappeared. Golbat, Horsea, and Xatu appeared amongst them.

"Oh my Arceus, I know who the Veteran is," Horsea said in awe.


End file.
